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Mammillaria prolifera
Also called West Indian Nipple-cactus, Little Candles, Silver Cluster Cactus
Texas nipple cactus is a small, clustering cactus that forms dense mounds of round stems covered in bristly spines and fine white hairs. It is one of the easiest and most widely grown Mammillaria species, and it flowers and fruits readily.
Mammillaria prolifera, commonly known as the Texas nipple-cactus, West Indian nipple-cactus, grape cactus, or hair-covered cactus, is a species of cactus native to North America. Three subspecies are currently recognized: M. prolifera subsp. prolifera (Cuba, Dominican Republic, and Haiti), M. prolifera subsp. arachnoidea (Mexico), and M. prolifera subsp. texana (Mexico and the United States). The subspecies differ in overall size, the number and color of the spines, and the shape and color of the flowers. The plant's round or slightly elongated stems usually form small, dense clusters, and flowers are commonly born alongside fruit. It is one of the most popular and widely grown Mammillaria species.
Mammillaria prolifera is one of the best known, easiest to grow, and most commonly cultivated Mammillaria species. The cacti nurseryman and journalist John Pilbeam notes that, because of this, it is "almost looked down upon by the connoisseurs". It is appreciated for its attractively dense tufts of spines and its ability to produce flowers and fruit simultaneously and more abundantly than any other Mammillaria species. Like M. vetula subsp. gracilis, M. prolifera is easy to propagate and distribute; Pilbeam estimates that most cacti fanciers become interested in the genus after growing these two species. The most commonly cultivated subspecies is M. mammillaria subsp. texana. According to Pilbeam, M. mammillaria subsp. arachnoidea is more challenging to grow than the other subspecies.
Mammillaria prolifera is native to Texas, northeastern states of Mexico, Cuba, and Hispaniola. It grows primarily in the tropical biome that undergoes seasonal droughts. Mammillaria prolifera subsp. prolifera is found in Cuba, Dominican Republic, and Haiti, typically at elevations between 30 m and 50 m above sea level. Britton and Rose noted its presence at Guantanamo Bay Naval Base. They described it as growing in low, dry thickets, where it is "quite inconspicuous but abundant". Specific locations include Port-au-Prince and Ganthier in Haiti and Guayubin in the Dominican Republic. Mammillaria prolifera subsp. arachnoidea has been collected in the Mexican states of Hidalgo (in the canyon of the Moctezuma River, east of Jacala) and Tamaulipas (8 km west of Antiguo Morelos, on rocks next to Federal Highway 8) at 300 m above sea level.
Mammillaria bombycina · Mammillaria carmenae · Golden Star Cactus · Mammillaria erythrosperma · Twin Spine Cactus · Old Lady Pincushion · Mammillaria laui · Mexican Pincushion · Mammillaria petterssonii · Feather Cactus · Mammillaria polythele · Cactus
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Mammillaria prolifera by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.
The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.
Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.
